


Caught Up in an Eternal Sunrise

by Gaudan



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drama & Romance, F/M, Pre-Canon, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaudan/pseuds/Gaudan
Summary: He finds her floating.  She finds him sinking.  Having someone to hold onto may just be what they need in a dispassionate world.
Relationships: Sasori's Mother/Sasori's Father (Naruto)
Kudos: 7





	1. Anywhere and Everywhere

**Author's Note:**

> This work is a spin-off of my SasoSaku fic To Live or to Die. As I was writing one of the chapters, I was inspired to write a backstory of Sasori’s parents.

  
A young woman is expected to be the epitome of all things contradictory to a natural human being. Rina has found a way to pull every desirable womanly trait out of herself and lock it away when it no longer serves her. Having no significant name nor memories of a home, this is her greatest achievement. Her means of survival. 

She spends her days and nights sleepwalking through the darkest pocket of Suna. Having no freedom to leave, it is the only way she can see herself to somewhere new. 

“Where are you, Rina?”

She was a thousand miles outside of her body as her dear friend with the scalp tight ponytails and skinny legs asked her this. 

“‘I’m here. I was just lost for a moment.” She answered.

“Oh. I wasn’t sure where you went this time.” She twirled her sandy blonde hair.

“Have you ever felt the spaces between your teeth expand until your skull cracked and your thoughts spilled out?” Rina asked.

“No but that sounds trippy.” She said before her short attention span shifted to the next new shiny concept.

Rina dreams to know of a world where the sky is blue and the grass is green. She has only ever known the safety of the brothel. The women working there are enslaved to the secrecy of grave sin. She does not think herself above it, but she acknowledges her emptiness from a safe distance. Her mother had left her here to be raised by the other women, but it isn’t all bad. They had always been fiercely protective of her and one another.

A gray fog curls in over her pale arms. She inhales it and starts to choke when the distinct taste of a cherry flavored cigar enters her lungs. Her vision has long adjusted to the darkness of the room, but it’s still hard to hold a balanced gait in the disorienting haze of body heat and tobacco smoke.

“What’s your name, darling?” A tall, dark toned man with white hair steps out from a cloud of blackness. In this dim lighting, everyone appears to be beautiful apparitions of their organic selves. Porous skin is non-existent. Everyone has captivating, mysterious eyes. It’s hard to determine who is truly alluring when the daylight casts its glaring truth.

“Rina.” She moves her lips into a curious and genuine smile. Every new face is fresh potential to Rina. Sometimes, she wants to imagine that she is the lover of a man returning from war. Or a house wife that has been feeling insecure in need of a reminder that she is a beautiful woman. The scenarios are endless. She has imagined so many romances that were horribly timed but had the perfect conclusion.

“Rina.” The man twirls her long hair in between his fingertips as if he was playing along as the character she dreamed up for him. A reverent lover that was about to leave. With the utmost reluctance, of course. The other women make up names, but she prefers to use her real one. It makes everything feel more authentic.

“Oh no. She will not be able to see you tonight. But there are plenty other girls available.” Madam is a stern woman nearing her elderly years. Her bangles clank together along her thin, veiny arm as she gestures to the women lounging around the room like lazy cats. 

Rina is disappointed. She wants to spend time with the handsome man. He looks interesting to her, and she imagines all of the exciting stories he has to tell. Like the rest of their clientele, he is a shinobi. 

“Well that’s a pity.” His eyes did not break from hers. She gives him a slight smile expressing coyness.

“I am sorry to disappoint, but she is the only girl off limits.” Madam never leaves room for argument.

Rina has not seen her first client yet. She will be expected to soon. After all, she has entered her early 20’s and will be expected to earn her place here. For now, she serves tea and makes clients feel comfortable as they wait to see the girl of their choosing.

“Can I get you anything while you decide?” Rina stands to her feet, ready to be of use in any way she can. She wants to hold his attention for longer.

“A bottle of sake, please.” His eyes had already shifted to the girls slouched in the corner. And just like that, she feels discarded, when just a minute ago, he had looked at her as if she was the answer to his prayers. At least, that’s how she had imagined it. 

She watches him look past Miss Michi, a middle aged woman with large breasts that hang sloppily over her ill fitting tank top. His eyes stop on a girl slouching against the back of her chair with her legs spread out. The eccentric and unapproachable new girl Rina has not been acquainted with yet. She has been wanting to but hasn’t found the right moment. Her hair is in a half updo of two tight buns on both sides of her head. She wears a short tank top that displays the sharp lines of her abs and a mini skirt that does nothing to cover her panty-less bottom.

“Nevermind about the sake.” He says his approaches the girl.

“Of course.” Rina says as she tastes the bitterness of her irrational jealousy. She resumes her menial task of sweeping the floor that she had abandoned when she saw him walk in the door.

  
  


* * *

  
  


A loud crack shakes the earth. Miles from the source, it can be heard. A deep fissure opens, breaking up the dry, hard sand further than the eye can see. An amass of old, dry roots spring up to the surface, whipping around wildly and grappling on to each other before settling back down in the dirt pulling everything down with them – large rocks, wildflowers and a waterfall of dirt and sand. The fissure closes in its wake.

“Did you see that, Yuyake?” A young man shouts out above the noise.

“Yes, master! It was splendid! You are improving so quickly. I must say!” The small scorpion companion of the young man enthuses from his perch on a rock nearby.

“I think sensei would be impressed.” He wipes the sweat from his forehead.

“Master Kyo, I know he will be impressed. You always impress him. This will be no different.” 

“My earth style isn’t the best, but I was able to use my chakra threads to enhance this jutsu by manipulating the roots.”

“You are creative in your combat tactics. But, what of your puppetry? Have you been practicing? You have a natural talent for it.” 

“Yea, but…I don’t really like puppetry. Fighting in the corners isn’t really my style. Mother says that if I’m going to fight short to mid range combat, then I need to work much harder on improving my skills as I am going against my natural abilities. I think she isn’t giving me enough credit.” 

“Lady Chiyo only wants the very best for you. Losing your father was hard on her. She doesn’t want to see a similar fate befall you. If there’s anything she can do to prevent it, she will. Even if it makes her seem cold and calloused.”

“I know, I know. I get it. I just wish she had more faith in me is all. She chooses to focus on my shortcomings instead of my accomplishments.” Kyo falls to his back on the hot sand.

“Such is her nature. Lady Chiyo has always been nearly impossible to please, but she cares for you all the same.” Yuyake pauses when he realizes Kyo is no longer listening. “Where are you going?”

Kyo is stuffing his weapons into the many straps and pockets of his uniform where he keeps them stored. His previous demeanor has changed to one of urgency. “Speaking of my mother, I was supposed to meet her for dinner before leaving for my mission. You know how much she _hates_ waiting.” 

“Well, best get going! We can’t have Lady Chiyo cross with you.” 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Chiyo stands at the door with a deep scowl on her face and her hands on her hips. The strong scent of spices waft around her. “You didn’t even bother to clean yourself up. You’re sweaty and you smell bad.” She says in lieu of a greeting.

“I’m sorry, ma. I was training, and I lost track of time.” He has no excuse that would be acceptable to her.

“You’re always sorry. That I can be sure of.” She unties here apron, balls it up and tosses it against an empty chair. 

He stands there, waiting for the end of her foul mood before following after her. There’s never any point in arguing with her. He finds every other way to rebel against her, doing things such as skipping training to hang out with friends or refusing to attend the important meetings she tries to involve him in. When she raises her voice at him, he simply tells her that she needs to calm down. She eventually does.

“Oh, come on in. You know I can’t stay mad at you for long. Even though you are frustrating child.” She moves back over to the stove and stirs her pot. “Help me set the table.”

“Yes ma’am!” He chirps.

“So what kind of mission are you going on? Are you allowed to talk about it?” Chiyo ladles soup into the bowls he has placed on the table. He sits in the same seat across from her that he always claims.

“Probably not, but I don’t care. I’ll tell you anyway.” 

“”Nope!” She cuts him off before he can start to explain the nature of his mission. Her hands are covering her ears. “I don’t want to hear it. You need to follow the rules. If you aren’t allowed to speak of it, then don’t.”

He laughs at her. “You should loosen up. You’re gonna have high blood pressure if you worry about following the rules so closely all the time.” 

“You are unmanageable! I will not bail you out of jail if you get yourself arrested.” She shakes her finger at him.

“No?” His eyes sparkle with mirth over his spoon.

They talk of other things over dinner that entertains Kyo and vexes Chiyo. When he is sure he has thoroughly agitated her, he announces that it is time for him to leave for his mission.

“Love you, ma.” He bends down to kiss her on the cheek. She wipes it off and glares at him.

“Don’t you try to butter me up now. Get out of here.” She points to the door.

* * *

  
  


The mission lasted overnight and ends around noon the following day. Kyo is exhausted but not ready to go home. It had been a disastrous mission. His team had been expected to meet up with another team that had been undercover. That team had been discovered and captured. One of them had been tortured to death. The mission was a failure and the best they could do was free the team members that survived the ordeal.

  
He is walking alone on the outskirts of Suna as he dwells on the way burnt flesh and dead eyed horror looks under romantic starlight. The universe detaches itself from death. He realizes that he may never become a part of it’s greater scheme if he cannot fathom the most basic of it’s laws.   
  


Once entering the village gates, he knows everything he has seen will be stored away in the darkness of a filing cabinet and shoved into the closed off section of his brain. He’s not ready to go to bed with it.   
  
  
The area right outside of Suna is a spreading plague. Neglect and brokenness are the symptoms. It is a hub for drug operations and illegal chemical weaponry dealers. Suna tolerates it because corruption exists in high places. Still, it makes him feel more human when he is outside the confines of Suna where he is forced to digest trauma without having heartburn.

Amongst the broken pillars and rotting clay structures, a lone building catches his eye. He wonders what sort of business is conducted there. The structure is in slightly better shape than the rest of the buildings near. His thinks that it may be a bar or inn. Maybe even a tearoom.

“Never knew that was there.” Kyo says to himself as he looks at the flat, low-roof building from a distance.

On closer inspection, it doesn’t look very much like any tearoom he has ever seen. There are no windows to see inside nor are there any outside tables. It has old charm but appears to be in need of some structural work. He supposes that being on this side of Suna, they do not have enough business to address any needed repairs.

He stands outside for a moment contemplating on whether he should head home or stop for a while. He decides on the latter. 

Kyo enters through the front door and is ambushed by a strong cloud of herbal aromas. The peculiarity of the place occurs to him immediately. There are no customers which he finds odd at this time of day, even if it is far out of the way. A few women are shuffling around in and out of the main dining area. They all appear to be bored and listless. He sits down at one of the empty tables and begins to scan over the menu.

“Well hi there.” A petite young woman approaches his table with a look opposite of the unfriendly faces he has seen so far. She’s very pretty in a delicate sort of way. The dreamy expression on her face makes her even more attractive. She wears a short, silky kimono of lilac color and a gaudy, diamond choker necklace.

“Hi” He nods to her, slightly thrown off by the way she casually sits next to him.

“So you’re a shinobi, huh?” She looks at his uniform.

“Yes, I am returning home from a mission.” He says, unsure of how she feels on the matter.

“Oh, how exciting! What kind of mission? Was it diplomatic? Did you travel far?”

“Well, it wasn’t exciting in the way I would have hoped. In fact, I would much like to forget about it.” He doesn’t look at her as he continues scanning the menu.

“I’m so sorry…I” She becomes visibly embarrassed. Her cheeks redden as she looks down. “That was rude of me.”

“No, it’s ok, really.” He feels bad for the girl. It wasn’t his intention to fluster her.

“Its not ok. I should be making you feel better. Can I get you anything to drink?” She stands to her feet with renewed vigor.

He is charmed by her sincerity. There is a natural gentleness to her that comforts a restless part of him. A part of him he had not seen in himself until the instant it left him. It feels good to be in her space is how he would explain it.

“You really haven’t troubled me at all. I am unfamiliar with the anything listed on this menu, but I’ll trust you to make the best decision for me.” He gives her a polite smile. She squeezes her lips together, holding back a stupid smile before turning around and disappearing to the next room.

He waits about five minutes for her to return. During that time, he contemplates further on the peculiarity of the place. It is not designed in the way most tea houses are in that they give off an atmosphere of light and airiness. There are no windows allowing in natural light or greenery intended to filter the air flow. Suna is not known for having very many tea houses, but even this is far from what he has seen.

The dining area is dimly lit with classic lantern chandeliers, featuring paintings of women wearing kimonos in various candid poses. There is a lounging area in the corner with a sleek, dark futon and two chairs sitting opposite, facing it. A small, circular table sits in the center. There is a patterned red shoji screen in front of the lounge area, separating it from the rest of the room. He notices that there is a very minimal amount of tables.

The small woman with waist length, brown hair emerges from the arched doorway with a look of distress on her face. She sets the tea down in front of him but doesn’t leave. He fidgets under the awkwardness she releases in the air as she looks around uncertainly.

“Mind if I sit with you?” She finally asks.

“Not at all.” Though he finds it odd, he really doesn’t mind. He needs a distraction from the disappointment of his recent failure.

“I never got your name.” He feels the need to relax her nervousness lest it start to affect him.

“Rina.” She holds out her hand and smiles with her eyes. “A pleasure.”

“Hi Rina. My name is Kyo. A pleasure to meet you as well.” He shakes her hand.

Rina sees Kyo as a puzzle. She compartmentalizes all of his familiar parts and holds them in one corner of her brain. The abstract, disconnected parts lay out before her to imagine how they might fit together. The full display of him is pictured before her, yet she doesn’t know how to assemble him. She decides that she wants to because he is a beautiful view.

She suddenly places her hand over his. “Would you like to spend some time with me?” Her soft fingers gentry stroke his palm as she looks up at him in a hopeful way.

He looks down at their hands in bewilderment. “Am I not spending time with you now?”

“Well…I mean…” She stumbles over her words. “I don’t see clients yet. If you’re here for that, you’ll need to see another girl. But, I do give baths and I’m told that I give the best massages.” Her grip tightens.

He looks up at her with wide eyes. Oh. _Ohhh._ He thinks to himself. It all clicks in that instant. He turns a ghostly white.

“I…didn’t realize this place was _that_ kind of establishment.” The admission sounds stupid to him because, as a shinobi, he knew he should have picked up on it. He assumed that Suna no longer allowed these places to operate.

“Oh. Th-that’s…” She lowers her voice to a whisper. “It’s a secret. Most of our clientele are aware that this restaurant is just a front. I just assumed because…”

“It’s fine.” He squeezes out of his throat. Not even he knows what demon possesses him to say his next line. “A massage sounds nice actually.” 

Maybe it was the gentleness of her hands or the indiscernible sense that she has the ability to nourish and soothe him in all the ways he fundamentally needs. He is horrified to admit, in his moment of weakness and vulnerability, that he probably would have slept with her if she had offered. He wants to replace the image of charred flesh with her smooth, flushing skin. That would’ve helped him sleep.

Rina’s mouth lifts into a flirty smile. She grabs his hand and leads him to the back, down an empty hall. She slides open the fifth door to the left and pulls him in, shutting it behind her. The room is cold and dark but it smells clean. 

“Lie down here.” He allows her to steer him to the table against the wall. She pats the empty table covered with a white sheet.

Kyo lies on his stomach with his head turned to the side. She lifts his shirt and tugs it up to his neck. The warmth of her hands rest against his lower back. Her energy is very different from her touch. While she is heedless and airy in her demeanor, her touch is explorative and sensuous. Like she is trying to absorb his innermost secrets through her hands alone. He submits himself to it. After a few minutes, he has the unmistakable feeling of someone else’s chakra sinking through his pores.

“You can infuse chakra. Are you a shinobi?” He turns to get a better view of her.

“Oh, no. I’m no such thing. I can infuse chakra although I have no formal training. I just picked up a few tricks here and there from people I’ve met.”

“Have you ever considered becoming one?”

“Well…yes. But, I wouldn’t like to fight or witness battle. I would want to be one just to travel.”

“Not all shinobi use their abilities for fighting. Most do, but there are other things you could do besides.”

“Like what?” She tilts her head. Her hands move up and down the muscles near his spine.

“Hmm. Well…there are medic nin of course. Then there are scholars and researchers. I’m sure there are other trades. I just can’t think of them right now.” He is having trouble thinking much of anything with his bones sinking into the cushions. His muscles had melted into a state of relaxed uselessness and were threatening to take the rest of him down. If she had been a shinobi, she could have killed him in this impaired state. It’s not really funny, but he wants to laugh out loud at the thought of Chiyo finding out that he was murdered in a whore house.

“What’s it like out there?” She asks, breaking up his disturbing train of thought.

“What do you mean? Haven’t you been anywhere?” His face is mashed against his arm. He opens one eye to look at her.

“Not really.” She says nonchalantly. “I go to the village once in a while, but my comings and goings have to be approved. They often aren’t.”

“That’s…” He wants to say awful but doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“You have beautiful hair by the way. I’ve never seen this hair color before. It’s red but a different red. It reminds me of a candy I enjoyed as a girl.” She combs her fingers through the mess of his hair.

“If you think mine is different, you should see a clan I’ve met in Konoha. They all have bright pink hair. Like cotton candy. Haruno is their family name. Did you know that there was such a clan?”

“No! You’ve been to a Konoha? I’ve always wanted to go there.” She becomes delighted at the mention of Konoha. “I would very much like to see the clan with pink hair. I’d also like to meet a Hyuga. Or an Uchiha. I hear that if you look an Uchiha in the eyes, you lose yourself completely.”

“Yea, that can happen. But, it’s not a pleasant experience by any means. It’s as if they suck your soul from you and chomp it to bits right in front of your disconnected body.” He thinks on where he heard that before.

“Have you ever looked an Uchiha in the eye?” She is fascinated by his description.

“Nope. And I don’t plan to. Relations between Konoha and Suna haven’t been good. I don’t think it’s a good time to travel there. Or a good time to look an Uchiha in the eyes.”

“I’ve heard…maybe one day I can visit.” She gazes off to a blank spot on the wall. Her hands move mechanically but she is still pushing chakra. She wasn’t lying when she said she gives good massages.

“I think my hour is up.” He eyes the pocket watch hanging from his bag. “I should be going now.”

She blinks herself back from wherever she had floated off to. He is surprised to see an unfiltered look of disappointment cross her face. “Oh, but…”

“It really was nice to meet you. I should come back to see you whenever I’m in need of a massage.” Kyo has no plans to return but wants to part in a pleasant way since he genuinely likes the girl. He gets up and digs through his bag. 

“I would like that. I want to hear more about the pink haired clan and the Uchihas. And anything else you would like to share with me.” Rina clasps her hands together in front of her. All of her mannerisms are graceful and ladylike. He can tell she was well trained in entertaining. A much different form of training than a shinobi’s.

“Or maybe next time you can do the talking and I’ll listen.” He grabs her hand and places a wad of cash in it.


	2. The Escape

  
Every night is a dream of kaleidoscopic colors and smooth vibrations bursting through smog, creating a disorienting atmosphere in the main sitting room. The girls scatter about, engaging in activities such as playing cards, reading, carrying on conversations in hushed tones or practicing music and dance. If someone walked in, they would drop the casualness and sit back with serious, intimidating gazes. Just the sight of them lounging around rudely is obscene in itself.

For Rina, every morning is a hangover from the prior night. Not literally, but in the sense of waking up feeling out of sorts and having the impression that time had been wasted. Rina rises every mid morning to start her day. She begins with practicing her koto and reading her novels. The rest of the day is spent on her chores and tending to customers. Occasionally, she has errands that bring her to Suna’s main strip.

Today, Rina has woken with an unprecedented urgency. She decides to go about her daily chores with purpose even though she feels starved of it. With her bucket of soapy water in hand, she walks down the hallway where the girls entertainment rooms are.

Each room has a different palette of colors and is complimented by décor meant to invoke a fantasy of luxurious eroticism. She removes the sheets piled by the door and wipes down the surfaces of the furniture and fixtures. Working her way down each room, she performs every task with meticulous care. 

Miss Michi walks by swaying her heavy hips. “You missed a spot, hon.” She points to a smudge on the door handle.

Rina squints at the spot. “Oops, you’re right!” She dips her rag in the murky water, rings it out and wipes the handle gingerly.

“Can’t leave behind any evidence of these shitbags.” She lights up a cigarette and inhales with her eyes squeezed shut as if the toxic chemicals are providing the vitality she had been deprived of. The heavy lines of her face crinkle to the center.

Rina smiles softly. “Did someone upset you, Miss Michi?”

Michi peers sideways at her through the opened slits of her eyelids. Her cigarette is suspended in the air. “Oh honey. You shouldn’t be here.” Smoke floats out the corners of her mouth. “Take your good looks and go find a decent man – one that doesn’t come here. Or go join a band of street performers. Anything. Get out of this sparkling _dump_ while you can.” She says hoarsely. Rina doesn’t say anything.

She quickly finishes the rest of her chores so that she can enjoy the remainder of the day with the other girls before clients start coming in. The shinobi usually come after returning from late night missions. They all bring in different attitudes with them. Some bring pride. Others bring indifference. Rina likes the ones that are willing to entertain her even though she has little to offer in terms of service and conversation.

She walks over to the kitchen sink, dumps out her sudsy water and rinses her rag. The chemical smells intermix with potent incense burning from the sitting room. After putting away her cleaning supplies in the closet, she follows it to see who she will be entertained by today. Hopefully not Arisa who will force her into meditation and will call on spirits for her to speak Rina’s future. It’s not that Rina doesn’t appreciate such gestures, it’s that Arisa does this with a type of arrogance, believing she was specifically chosen to guide the poor spiritually lost souls that are beneath her, but she pities them anyway.

“ _Rinaaaa”_ Scarlet sings out. “Oh _RIN-aaaaa”_

“ _Yes Scar-let?”_ She sings back with a playful upper inflection on her name.

Scarlet is sitting on the floor with her legs folded beneath her. Her shiny black hair is tied up in a neat bun, exposing her long, delicate neck. She winds up her music box and sets it on the table. “I want you to tell me a story! You always tell the best.”

Rina sits across from her and crosses her arms on the table, resting her chin on top. “What kind of story? I think I’ve told you all the ones I know.” She watches the dancer spin around in an arabesque as the tinkering music gradually slows.

“You can tell me one you’ve already told! Just change it up a bit. Add some romance and danger.” Scarlet mirrors her posture, also watching the dancer. Her wide sleeves roll down her arms.

“There’s always romance and danger in my stories.” She pokes at the crown on the dancer’s head.

“I want more.” Scarlet pouts her red lips.

“Ok then. You shall have it.” Rina says in her theatrical tone. She straightens up and scoots her butt around on her pillow.

The story Rina tells Scarlet is one of an ambitious young woman who follows down a path she was warned to never go. It was paved with poisonous flowers that grappled at her ankles. The flowers left behind needles that sunk into the soles of her feet. There are many perils down this path that almost kill her. At the end of this path, if she made it past the hidden dangers, she would be granted eternal life and her beauty would never fade. 

Rina remembers several endings to this story. One is that, of course, she dies along the way. Another is that it is a trick, and a devil is waiting for her at the end. The devil drags her through a trapdoor to hell, and there she is stuck burning and rotting for all eternity. The ending Rina tells Scarlet is the one where the devil falls in love with the woman and will only give her the prize in exchange for her hand. The woman seduces the devil with beautiful words and false promises. She slaughters him after they marry, and he fulfills his end of the bargain. In the end, she reigns over both hell and earth in her immortality.

“Ohhhh I like this one!” Scarlet claps briskly and her loose bangles clank down her wrists. “And then what? Is she ever opposed? Does she capture the hearts every mortal man?”

“Oh _yes! In the hearts of every demon servant and every mortal man, she lives oooon_.” Rina sings.

Scarlet watches her dreamily. “How far would you go to live for eternity, Rina?”

“Oh me?” Rina taps her chin with her index finger and looks at the ceiling. “Well…it would be nice to obtain eternal life and everlasting beauty…but I can’t say exactly how far I would go.” She thinks seduction isn’t too hefty of a price to pay. Slaughter though…she couldn’t stomach it.

“What would you do with your eternity?” Scarlet asks.

“Oh, I don’t really know. But, I think I would want to explore every inch of the world! Become the world’s most renowned artist!” Rina’s paintings currently sit half finished collecting dust in her room. They aren’t very good, but they show a unique expression of her peculiarity. She likes to believe that others would see it this way and would admire the uniqueness enough to display it on muted colored walls.

Rina pulls a candy bar out of her dress and unwraps it. She and Scarlet lay sprawled out on the floor, splitting the squares of chocolate and drinking cold glasses of milk. The record player has on an energetic female vocalist that sings boisterously of freedom and love. Her voice crescendos and dips along to the playful piano music. They sing along loudly in animated voices. In between singing, they gossip over the men Scarlet has seen this week.

“He says he only wants me. I mean, he is married, but he says that he was forced into it. He is planning to leave and then take me away from here.” Scarlet tells Rina.

“And what about the one that professed his love to you?”

“Oh him?” She scoffs. “I could never be with someone who sweats that bad. He’s unattractive and smells awful.”

“Don’t be a dumb cunt. That man is not gonna leave his wife for you. Don’t be one of those girls that waits around for nothing.” Miss Michi interrupts to spit venom on the conversation. She does this when she’s in one of her moods. But Rina doesn’t exactly disagree with her.

It isn’t uncommon for a client to take a shine to a particular girl. They were always being gifted flowers, expensive jewelry, clothes or rare items by men. It’s also not uncommon for a client to make promises to that girl. It _is_ uncommon for them to follow through on said promises.

Scarlet’s head is turned to the side haughtily with her nose tilted upwards. “Just because no one wanted you, doesn’t mean you need to project that onto me. _I_ believe him because we are in love.” She says rather snottily.

“They ALL say that. Once you pull that stick out your pretty little asshole, you might actually start seeing things for what they are.” Her mouth forms as a harsh circle as she speaks.

As they go back and forth, Rina escapes the conversation to retreat to her thoughts. Beyond all the gold and glamour, there is hidden ugliness seeping in from the cracks. This place allows ugliness and beauty to co-exist. Sometimes, she feels like this is heaven, and she is the only earthly being present. Other times, she sees a sinister shape beneath the sparkling chandeliers. It comes in the form of black mold building in the corners. It is the girls powdering their noses after swallowing strange pills; their enlarged pupils making them appear inhuman in their black shallowness. It is the brief bouts of romance exploding like a magnificent firework that fades into the night, never to be seen again.

Rina thinks of her conversation with Scarlet about eternity. There are these rare moments in time where you get a glimpse of something so beautiful and profound, it will bring you to tears, but it always disappears before you can identify it. It stops time and leaves you breathless in its wake. Rina can only conclude that there are some things too good to be held onto. But what good is hopeless beauty?

  
  


* * *

  
  


Kyo tunes in and out of focus as the sobering words of the Kazekage fill the high ceiling conference crowded with jonin. The air of impending doom had settled over and induced a mass of glassy-eyed stares directed towards him as he speaks. Chiyo’s face is crinkled in concentration as she takes in every word. Kyo hears them, but he can’t seem to find the same inspiration in those words.

“Therefore, we must be prepared to use force as a countermeasure. We cannot afford to be idle as Konoha is aggressively expanding its territory.” The third Kazekage is both solemn and intense in his speech. His eyes flicker around the room, momentarily settling on each individual as he stresses his point. 

The clock on the wall ticks away as Kyo spares it a quick glance. That was all it took for Chiyo to reach up and smack her son on the back of the head.

“Pay attention.” She hisses from behind.

“Ow.” Kyo rubs at the sore spot. “I was paying attention.” He hisses back in a whisper.

“Disrespectful child.” She bristles.

It’s not like they hadn’t heard this speech before. Suna has talked of expanding for years. In those years, Konoha has managed to do exactly what Suna has set out to do, but they did so with the hast and efficiency Suna lacks. Not that Kyo had ever cared about such pursuits. He understands the necessity in standing your ground and affirming your position, but it doesn’t make it any less unpleasant.

“And so, I implore you to be ambitious in your training. And those of you who lead genin will need to consider reforming your training programs. We don’t have enough extraordinary shinobi compared to Konoha who has the kekkai genkai of the great clans to rely on. We will need to cultivate a new generation of special abilities and immense power.” He continues. 

His words weave through the air like vines with sharp thorns. His sentences end in bright, flowering buds. He makes the path to war seem like a jarring one but that it would end in all the world’s treasures and gold. 

The meetings ends half past noon. Kyo is all too ready to remove himself from the stiff environment and hopefully have a more pleasant second half of his day. Unfortunately, Chiyo approaches him before he can reach the door. 

“Where are you off to?” She asks pointedly. People walk around them as they move to the side.

“Oh uh…” He scratches his head, looking over hers. “Just going to get a few items from the store before my next mission.” That was a lie. He had wanted to escape before she caught up to him to lecture him about taking his responsibilities more seriously. As if working weeks straight and training in between isn’t enough. Chiyo has sky-high expectations for everything. If she were the Kazekage, they would all be doomed to them.

“In that case, I need some more wood varnish. Get me some.” She folds her arms and looks him straight in the eyes with her all-knowing, no bullshit look.

Damn.

“Alright, ma. I’ll get your wood varnish.” He turns and mutters off to the side. “Even though I wasn’t going that way.”

Her expression lifts into a cheerful smile like she wasn’t getting ready to mouth off to him if he refused. “You’re such a doll. Thank youuuu!” 

“Yea, its no problem.” He says dryly.

“And when you bring it, there are some things I need to talk to you about.” 

He sighs. Of course, the wood varnish is bait to get him in the position to be lectured. Or scolded if she caught wind of his last catastrophic failure of a mission. “I will bring it to you later today. Don’t you worry!” He chirps.

“Good.” She says, turning her nose upward and stomping past him with sharp heel clicks.

“Oh boy.” He says quietly to himself.

“That Lady Chiyo is intense as hell.” One of his fellow jonin stands next to him, watching her walk down the hall, making snide comments at the shinobi ‘wandering around like geese with nothing to do but shit all day.’

“Oh, she’s not that bad once you get to know her.” Kyo watches helplessly as she terrorizes the people in her line of sight. “She keeps me on my toes though.”

The nameless jonin looks at him tragically. “I feel for you.” 

* * *

When Rina was given her list of chores for the day, she was ecstatic to find that a grocery trip to the main strip was scheduled after lunch. She was so excited that she had tripped over her feet and busted her eye on her dresser, leaving a marvelous bruise around it. This did not dim her spirits. She finished washing clothes in record time and dressed herself in Suna’s standard garbs. 

She watches herself in the body length mirror adjust her scarf and flip her long, brown hair out of it. It’s so different from her short lavender kimono, but she feels empowered by it. Like she belongs to a civilization where she contributes something great. She spins around to admire the way the loose, dark robes conceal her curves and legs.

As she makes her way to the road leading to town, Rina pulls her hood over her head. The wind carries in sand particles that sting her face, but this is not the reason she hides. She is not supposed to be recognized by anyone. It’s an inconvenience, but it’s better than not being able to leave the house at all. Besides, it gives her a reason to cover her embarrassing black eye.

Rina blends in with everyone else meandering down the main strip, holding baskets, eyeing the rows of fruits and vegetables, the jewelry organized on necklace stands and in towering racks, the robes displayed on hangers. She’s seen it all before but its always as though she is seeing it for the first time. Her lips are parted, and her eyes are wide and wandering. She almost forgets what she is here for as she looks at a pair of fake sapphire earrings. She forces herself to pass them by. Maybe one day.

It’s then that she happens upon _him_ again. The tall redhead shinobi she had given a massage a few weeks ago. He’s standing by a table displaying wooden dolls and trinkets, staring hard at them. His shoulders and neck are slightly hunched forward in a thinking posture, one arm crossed over his chest and his other hand holding his chin. 

She smiles at his agitated shifting movements and look of pure concentration. Like he was making a very important decision here and absolutely, no way could he afford to make the wrong one. She remembers that this candid innocence was exactly what she had liked about him. 

She almost approaches him but thinks better of it. Instead, she turns the opposite way and starts picking the basic items they need, but she does try to steal another quick glance. He is gone though. Her disappointment comes out of nowhere when it hits her. She pushes it aside because it’s not like she was allowed to acknowledge him anyway. She sighs, staring longingly at the spot he was standing in.

Rina moves on, stuffing her basket with the staples - bags of rice, wrapped loafs of bread and a few essential vegetables. She pays the attendant and leaves. The wind picks up and blows her hood back. Her receipt flies out of her basket, and she shrieks and grapples for it, but it blows too far away. But she _needs_ that receipt! She chases after it as it flutters away, teasing her by floating back and forth out of her reach. She stumbles over a rock and falls, collapsing on the ground ungracefully. The contents of her basket go rolling out in different directions. She huffs indignantly with red cheeks.

Just when she thinks she can still salvage the entire situation, some jerk grabs a loaf of her bread and takes off with it.

“Hey!” She yells, scrambling to her feet.

The guy has taken off, but she pursues him with furious intent. She will salvage this situation! He skirts around a trash bin, and she follows his movements. There are people in the way, so he shoves through them. She does the same. They yell at their backs, shaking their fists with red, indignant faces. After colliding with a bin of fruits and knocking them over, she finally catches up to him. Her anger dictates her next movement. He is on the ground in a vulnerable position, so she climbs on top of him and delivers a hard punch in to the jaw. She yanks her bread from his side and takes off.

“You bitch!” He yells, stumbling to get to his feet.

“Get back here!” Another man yells, chasing after her. “I need you both to clean this mess up and pay for these damaged goods!”

Foolishly, she stops. The thief uses this opportunity to run away with some of the street vendor’s goods he had knocked over. The vendor turns around to yell, but the thief had already slipped in between groups of people, disappearing into the cloud of anonymity. The vendor deflates in his defeat and jerks around angrily to face her.

“Since you’re part of the cause of this mess, I’m holding you responsible.” He crosses his arms and glares down at her.

“I didn’t cause this! I’m a victim too! He stole my bread, and I was just trying to get it back.” Rina whines like a wounded creature, lying on its side with its broken leg sticking out. It’s asinine, but this is how she squirms her way out of situations.

“I don’t want to hear it! Just because you were a victim, don’t mean you can go victimizing good, honest folk! Do you know expensive this is?” His eyes are still angry and hard, but she sees a glint of pity for her to latch onto.

“Oh, sir! I’d _never_.” She places her hand on her chest dramatically, trying to force tears into her eyes. She manages to collect water on her bottom lids but not enough for it to leak. “I may not be able to repay you, but I can at least help you clean this mess.”

“Oh cut the crap!” He says, but with a lesser version of his venom. “Im not letting you leave until you figure out a way to repay me.”

“What’s going on here?” They both turn to see a guy in a shinobi uniform approaching. Rina immediately recognizes him and smiles. It’s the redheaded shinobi again.

“This man insists that I repay him for goods that I didn’t damage! I swear! I am a victim just as he is.” She says pitifully.

“Is that so?” He looks at her then looks at the vendor.

“She is full of shit. Do not take this wench’s word for it.” He points at her angrily. “It takes two for a conflict to arise. I was an innocent victim of her conflict with that bastard that got away.”

“Hmm.” He tilts his head to observe her at an angle, handing resting on his chin. Her long eyelashes flutter as she blinks at him. Her black eye ruins the affect, but it’s still cute. He winks at her. “Oh come on, she didn’t mean to victimize you. Surely, you can overlook it this time?”

“If I do, then I would be stupid! That would mean I’d let anyone walk all over me. I might as well give up my business and take up begging in the streets!” He spits indignantly.

Sir! There’s-“ The shinobi starts.

“No way am I doing that! I’ve spent many years cultivating my business. I’ve worked too hard to just roll over and give up! That’s the problem with today’s youths. They all want something for nothing.”

“Sir. Sir! There’s a-“

“And just because you’re a shinobi, you think you can-“

“Sir! There’s a scorpion in your fruits!” The redheaded shinobi shouts, pointing past him to his fruits.

“What?” He turns sharply. “Son of a bitch!” A scorpion is, in fact, crawling on his fruits. He storms over there to swat it off with a stick.

“Run!” The shinobi grabs Rina’s arm and pulls her with him as he takes off down the street, disappearing into the crowd like the thief from earlier. 

The vendor yells at them uselessly, and the scorpion scurries off.

Rina runs with the shinobi until they are far away from the scene of the crime. They stop in the shade of an alleyway on the side of some buildings. She pants to catch her breath. Sweat is trickling down her temples and inside her robes. She isn’t used to such activity. 

A scorpion appears out of nowhere in a poof of smoke on the shinobi’s shoulder. 

“Nice work, Yuyake! I didn’t know how we were getting out of that one.” He says.

“Yes, well, I almost lost my life for it! I was this close!” It separates its claws to show just how narrowly it avoided being crushed.

“It talks!!!!” Rina starts to hyperventilate.

The shinobi looks at her puzzled. “Have you never seen a ninja creature before? Most of them talk. Any animal that can mold chakra can talk.” He explains.

“Oh…uh…of course I knew that.” She lies, staring at Yuyake.

“Rina was it?” He smiles warmly. 

“Yes, and you are Kyo if I remember correctly?” She recovers from her shock.

“You got it! And hey, thanks again for the massage. I saw you in trouble and thought, ‘if I don’t help this girl out, I may never get that good of a massage again.’ And that was a nasty right hook you gave that guy. I was impressed!”

She blushes. “You saw that?”

“Oh boy, did I! Like I said, impressive.”

“Oh um thanks. I saw you at the market and thought to say hi.” Her cheeks are still red.

“Why didn’t you? You should have.”

“Because you looked very focused. I didn’t wanna disturb your intense concentration.” She chuckles at the memory of him staring at the trinkets as if he were making a life or death decision.

It’s his turn to blush. “Don’t worry about that. Next time, just yell at me as loud as you can.”

“Oh, but I can yell very loud! I may scare you.” She says coyly.

“I’ll bet not. I’m never scared. This is Yuyake, by the way.” He holds his hand out to the scorpion on his shoulder who waves a pincer and says, “It’s a pleasure, Miss Rina.”

“Nice to meet you. Thank you both for saving me from that awful mess I found myself in.”

“No problem at all. Really, Yuyake did all the work.” He is now staring at her black eye. She looks away, embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding it.

“Are you ok? Did they do that to you?” He asks with genuine concern.

“Mmm…nope.” Rina shakes her head and blushes again. “I, uh, tripped and busted my eye on a doorknob getting ready this morning.” She pokes self-consciously at the angry bruise.

Kyo holds back a smirk. He doesn’t know her well enough to tease her about being a klutz. “Ouch. I can heal that for you.”

“You can?” Her eyes widen.

“Sure. I know a little medical ninjutsu. But that’s about as much as I can do with it. If it’s a cut or bruise, I’m your guy. Other than that, you may wanna talk to a real medical ninja.” He says.

“Ok, if you don’t mind...” She steps closer.

Kyo stands right in front of her and slides one hand to her face to cup her jaw. The unexpected gesture causes her to flinch. She doesn’t back away because she trusts him. His other hand is raised and glowing with green chakra. “Now, I’ll need you to keep perfectly still. Im not that good, so I need complete concentration.” He says to her.

She nods once and closes her eyes. He gently lays his fingertips against the bruise, and immediately, a cool sensation sinks beneath her skin. It feels much like Aloe Vera being spread on a bad sunburn. She relaxes against his palm that is holding her face steady. Slowly, the ache of the bruise lessens, but she is in no hurry. She wants to relish in this soothing feeling as long as she can.

She opens her eyes to peek at him. His face is locked in a trancelike expression. He doesn’t blink the entire time. She admires the purple of his eyes with the gold flecks appearing near the center. His bright red hair further enhances the uniqueness of his looks. He is very handsome, she observes. She resists the urge to run her fingers through his hair.

Just as she closes her eyes again to enjoy it, he pulls away. The space he leaves between them is unpleasantly tangible. She blinks at him, puzzled by her own unwillingness to accept it. 

“Thank you.” She says after recovering from the loss of his comforting touch.

He doesn’t say anything as he looks at her. Or her eye. She isn’t sure.

“I guess I should be going…” She says after a moment.

“So soon?” He says with unconcealed disappointment.

“Well, I do need to see if I can recover my groceries. I dropped them which is what started this entire mess.” That was another issue she had yet to resolve. She spent all of the money she was given and had nothing to show for it. If she came back empty handed and broke, she’d never be allowed to run errands again.

“Let me help you.” Kyo says. 

“I appreciate it, but I cannot ask that of you. It’s too much! You’ve already done more than enough for me.” She starts to really tear up thinking about her problem.

“Maybe it’s for selfish reasons, and I just want to spend more time with you.” He says with startling honesty.

“Oh…well in that case.” She looks away bashfully. Her heart is racing, and she doesn’t quite understand why. “Please join me.” She holds out her arm.

He links his own through it and walks her back to the main strip. They retrace her steps and find the bag of rice. Everything else is gone. As if he knows of her plight, he insists on buying the replacement items. Although she wants to, she doesn’t refuse because she is that desperate.

At the end of their shopping trip he offers to take her home. Regretfully, she tells him no because madam would flip if she sees her with him. He told her he understood.

“I’d like to see you again. I think we’d be good friends.” He had felt this way the first time he met her. This time, he is more certain of it. Rina is one of those people who feels good to be with.

“Come see me at work sometimes.” She says. 

He suppresses a grimace. That’s not where he wants to see her. “Sure, I’ll do that sometime.” He says even though he has no plans to do that. “When will you come to town?”

“I’m not sure. It’s not really often, and I never know when the next time will be.” She looks at him apologetically, understanding that he would much rather see her in town than visit her at work.

“Ok then.” Kyo pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and scribbles something on it. “You can write to me anytime.” He folds it up in a neat square and hands it to her.

She reaches for the folded paper and slips it in her own robes. “Oh, I will! You can count on it. I’ll even write you as soon as I find out my next scheduled trip to the main strip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’ve found your way to this rare pair fic, I do hope you enjoy! It’s super fun for me to write since very little is known about Sasori’s parents. I love being able to make up my own story about them.


End file.
